Fringe Talk Day One

Sagrada Familia + Mike Rivett - Friday September 1st

1. The club, Venue 505, has that candlelit vibe, intimate, a place to order a gin and tonic. My cousin Ivan and I sit on a couch, close to stage, beside the emergency exit. We talk about various topics: Brazilian jiu jitsu, hip-hop, Dave Chapelle and basic algebra. He draws an equation in my notebook, and I wear a nervous smile, recalling a feeling of unpreparedness for a high-school exam. I also wish I knew more about jazz music.

2. The first support act, a solo artist, I think uses this as a sample-sound in his set:

He says his name is also like the manufacturer of these hot water heaters. About his music, I write: snare-heavy, electro-dance, icy-synth. He wears a costume that seems suitable to his sound -leather pants, leather jacket, no shirt, a beret and sunglasses. The people behind me say, ‘It’s very eighties.’ I ask Ivan to draw a picture of the music while I order more gin and tonic at the bar.

3. An hour or two before the gig, Ivan buys us Melona at Harmony Mart. It tasted so much like a melon, but it melts like ice-cream.

4. In front of the stage the audience multiplies, and Soul Tree launch into their first song. This time I write: a blend of jazz, RnB, and soul. Their sound is smooth and bright; I hear nice flourishes of delicate solos, and punchy drums. It is jazz you could flow to with your whole body. Ivan says the two singers have complementary voices, ‘like gin and tonic.’

5. Sagrada Familia is the co-headline act, and for some reason I’m momentarily amused that they have two sax players. They play their first song; more smooth, soulful jazz. Then suddenly, andsurprisingly, one sax player drops his instrument and starts to rap. The mood of the band shifts, the energy is more raw, and lively. The change is so surprising. Except, I'm in the bathroom when this happened. When I come back, Ivan says, ‘You left at the wrong moment.’ So, another song – the sax-player raps passionately about the moon, urban life – or, did I mishear?